VLADIMIR Putin has invited senior Hamas and Iranian leaders to Moscow in a terrifying move towards forming an “axis of terror”.

Israel has blasted the meetings as an “obscene step” towards supporting “terrorism”, while the Russian tyrant gets increasingly cosy with Kim Jong-un and Xi Jinping.

As the world waits with bated breath to see if the Israel-Hamas conflict will spiral into an all-out war across the Middle East – dangerous play appears to be at work on the sidelines.

On Thursday, a delegation of senior Hamas commanders were invited to the Russian capital only weeks after the terrorists launched their bloody October 7 attack on Israel, slaughtering 1,400.

Also in town was Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Baghiri Kani, who is also the sinister state’s chief nuclear negotiator.

The talks were allegedly concerned with the release of foreign hostages including Russian citizens being held inside Gaza.

However, the developments have raised fears in the West that Russia is forming an evil alliance with Hamas, mediated by its backer Iran – who already supplies Moscow with drones for their war in Ukraine.

It appears to be a direct attempt by Putin to intervene in the unfolding conflict and abandon his long-standing alliance with Israel in favour of his pariah pals.

Israeli foreign ministry spokesman, Lioir Hiat, slammed Russia’s “obscene” decision to meet Hamas.

He said Israel “sees the invitation of senior Hamas officials to Moscow as an obscene step that gives support to terrorism and legitimises the atrocities of Hamas terrorists”.

Moscow has repeatedly blamed the current crisis on the failure of US diplomacy, criticised Israeli air strikes and called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

In response, the Palestinian terror group has praised Vlad’s efforts to end what it called “the crimes of Israel that are supported by the West”.

“A new and looming axis of terror against the West centred around [Iran] and Putin’s Russia may very well be on the horizon,” said Kasra Aarabi, the director of Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps research at United Against Nuclear Iran.

He told The Telegraph that Russia and Iran were united by their “hostility to the West” and hatred of “liberal-rule based international order”.

The expert added: “News of the Iran-backed Hamas terror group being welcomed in Moscow should be extremely concerning to the West.”

As Putin searches for ever-more dangerous bedfellows – analysts are increasingly fearful of his brewing military alliances with China and North Korea.

Last week, just as Biden and Sunak flew to Israel to support their ally in its “darkest hour”, Putin visited his “old” and “dear” friend Xi.

The dangerous pair of dictators took swipes at the West and refused to condemn Hamas for their atrocities – their moves laying bare the gaping political rift extending between major superpowers.

Read Related Also: Man wanted for murder after fleeing from shoplifting incident in Greenwood Village

Israel’s de-facto ambassador to Taiwan, Maya Yaron, called China’s comments “very disturbing”.

Meanwhile, only last month Kim Jong-un visited Russia for a so-called “friendship tour” filled with weapons, wine and walruses.

It stoked fears of a new axis of evil between the two nuclear-armed, warmongering tyrants as Kim promised to make ties with Putin his “number one priority”.

Together, the pair vowed to fight a “sacred” battle against the West, while behind the scenes the US feared a weapons deal was “actively advancing”.

It comes as experts recently warned The Sun that Vlad, Kim and Xi may use the smokescreen of the Israel crisis as an “invitation” to turn the tides of global power and fight for a New World Order.

Keir Giles, a Russia expert from Chatham House, declared that it was open season for rogue states to “grab what they want while they can get away with it.”

He argued that the three tyrants will “watch and learn from how the West responds to the tragedy in the Middle East”.

And if the West cannot step up to the challenge of handling multiple conflicts unfolding all at once,then the impacts could echo across the world, he claimed.

The expert added: “Look at the way the lighthouse beam of western attention has suddenly switched from Ukraine to the Middle East, meanwhile other crises are playing out in the margins more or less unnoticed.

“But it’s not just Ukraine that suffers. Russia – and other hostile powers – can use this opportunity to probe, test and attack in other ways.

“To understand who shares Russia’s aims, look for where Russia goes shopping for weapons to sustain its campaign of destruction in Ukraine.

“It’s Iran and North Korea – two other countries whose primary exports are destruction, disorder and fear.”